Repercussions
by Suna.Tenma
Summary: I can remember a time when Sasuke was the only thing I ever thought about. I cant believe that used to be me. It's funny how when I thought he was all I ever wanted, he hated me. But now that I've realized he's not... he cant get me off his mind. SasuSaku
1. Prolouge: My ex obsession

DISCLAIMER:

Naruto is copyrighted to the creator, Masashi Kimimoto. This story is purely fan-made and is in no way associated with the anime company or the artist who created it.

* * *

I was starting to like this place more and more every day.

I was lying in an open grass field at the top of a hill, with delicate blue flowers growing sporadically across the open plane. From here I could see the walls of Konoha. Or at least I could, if I weren't lying down. But I was too comfortable in that lush green grass, and I don't think I could have sat up even if I had wanted to. The sun was shining brightly, and even though my eyes were closed, the sunshine still leaked in. The grass swayed slightly, being rocked delicately by the soft wind. The sun's rays continued to beat down on me though, keeping me warm despite the chilly autumn breeze.

The grass was tender and soft, like the delicate feathers in my pillow back home. In fact, I had even slept on this hilltop before. It was familiar now, but I remember the first time I found this place…

It was about a year ago… I was fourteen at the time. Call it young, call it whatever you want. But don't think for a second that I was too young to realize what was going on. I might not have understood the details, but I always understood this one thing; Mommy and Daddy were fighting. They started arguing when I was ten, but by the time I was fourteen it had escalated to crying, screaming, and sometimes even beating.

One night in particular, my father was upset… more upset than I had ever seen him.

"GOD DAMMIT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS!" Even with the pillow over my head, I could still hear the screaming. I was lying in my bed, hiding under the covers with the lights off. To most kids, the darkness was a place to be feared. But not to me. In my eyes, the darkness was the only place I was safe; the only place where they couldn't find me; where I could just disappear and pretend that the sounds I heard weren't real. Slowly, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I knew I was too old for this. Fourteen year old kunoichi shouldn't be crying; they should be strong. But I just couldn't do it. I tried to hold the tears back, but they continued to fall, staining my chic pink pillowcase.

_Crash _A loud sound reached my ears, pulling me from my trance. It sounded like… the shattering of glass.

"You BITCH!" My father shouted, his voice quaking with anger. "Oh, now you're gonna pay…" Slow footsteps, weeping, and then; _Thud. _I didn't have to see it to know what was happening. My mother was being beaten.

I heard her wince as my father's foot collided with her ribcage, and then there was a sickening snap. She screamed.

Clutching my pillow for dear life, I sobbed uncontrollably, trying desperately to hold myself together. I could hear my mother weeping, and I could just picture the pleading look in her eyes. I buried my face in my pillow, trying to stifle my cries. I couldn't let him hear me…

Suddenly, my bedroom door flew open, and light flooded in. My father burst in, storming over to my bed. I held my breath, but it was too late. He had heard me. In one quick movement, he ripped the blankets from my bed, exposing the vulnerable girl hidden beneath them. I kept my head down, not daring to look him in the eyes.

"What are you crying about huh?" He demanded, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look him in the eyes. I tried to avert my gaze, but he wouldn't allow it. "HUH?!?" He screamed, inches from my ear.

In his other hand, he seized both of my wrists, holding them up in front of me. "STOP CRYING! STOP IT!" He roared, tossing my fragile body aside. My head collided with the wall, and for a moment, I couldn't see. I heard footsteps as my father left the room, and slowly my vision came back to me. Panic overwhelmed me, and I knew I had to get out. Carefully, I crawled to the edge of my bed and slowly placed my feet on the cold hard-wood floor, testing my balance. When I stood, the room before me spun a little, but that soon faded. Quietly, I tiptoed over to my window and lifted it up, providing a space just big enough for me to escape.

As soon as I was out the window, I took off, sprinting down the street. I didn't know where I was going, but it didn't really matter. I just had to get away. My house is only about a ten minute's walk from the gates of Konoha, and since I was running I made it there even faster. The guard men recognized me, and opened the gate, not bothering to ask where I was going at one o'clock in the morning.

Once outside of the city, I calmed down a little bit, slowing my pace to a slow walk. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and I needed a place to rest. Looking around, all I saw were dirty paths and dying brush, and my bare feet were already being cut open by various rocks and goat-heads. One path I saw looked particularly clean, so I decided it was as good as any.

The path ran uphill, which made it that much harder to keep going, but there weren't very many rocks which was good. I trudged up the hill for what seemed like an eternity, when suddenly, I was at the top. I couldn't believe my eyes.

It was a beautiful meadow, with wild, untamed grass growing at least a foot tall. Dainty blue flowers were growing artlessly around the field, adding a touch of color to the already glorious grassland. I smiled, unable to contain myself. In one fluid motion, I held out my arms horizontally, and just let myself fall back into the plush lawn. I was asleep before I hit the ground.

That was the first time I discovered my beautiful meadow, and since then, this field has been my refuge; my place of comfort. My "happy place."

So now, a year later, my parents are still fighting, but they're in counseling, so things are a lot better. The beatings are very rare now, which is nice. Still, I wish they would go away completely.

The sun was starting to get pretty high in the sky, and I groaned, knowing that I was supposed to go meet my team. I groaned because I had to leave my comfortable meadow, but despite that I was still pretty happy. Because meeting me team also met meeting... Sasuke.

To me, Sasuke was more than a crush; he was an obsession. I knew everything about him, and to make things even better, I was on his ninja squad! If there was anything to keep me going in the day, it was Sasuke.

So, not wanting to waste a minute, I jumped up and sprinted down the old hill, headed straight for the entrance to Konoha.

10 minutes later, I was standing on that oh-so-familiar bridge where Kakashi always met us. Due to my haste, I forgot to check my watch before coming here, and realized a little too late that I was about 20 minutes early. Sighing, I leaned lazily against the railing, staring up at the clouds. It was a very clear day, and there was only one tiny cloud in the sky. It was all alone as I watched it bravely cross the sky, slowly but surely.

"Hey Sakura!"

Startled, I jerked my head to where the sound came from. As I expected, I saw Naruto running over to me, waving. Relaxing a bit, I sighed, raising my hand up to wave back.

"Hi Naruto." I said as he neared, peeling myself off of the railing so I could stand up straight.

"So Sakura, how did you sleep last night?" Naruto inquired, trying to make conversation.

Any other girl would have been taken aback by Naruto's question, but I was used to it by now. It was no secret that Naruto had a crush on me, but I just didn't feel that way about him. Still, I tried to be friendly.

"Oh, good." I replied, averting my gaze. That wasn't entirely true. Last night, my mother and father had gotten into a fight again. This time, it ended in another bruise, which was why I had slept on the meadow once again. Instinctively, I reached for my shoulder where my skin was beginning to turn a deep purplish color.

Naruto might be annoying and he might be an idiot, but he's still a ninja, and he can tell when someone's lying.

"Sakura," he said quietly, voice full of concern. "What happened?"

_God, I hate it when he gives me that look. _No one knew about my abusive father, and I wasn't about to tell anyone now.

"Nothing Naruto. I'm fine." I said harshly, dropping my hand to my side. True, I tried to be friendly. But I couldn't be weak when it came to this subject. No one could know what my father did. I know it's wrong, but he was getting help, and it's nothing that concerns Naruto. Frankly, it's none of his business. On top of that, the last thing I wanted was for my team to be worrying about me and treating me like an injured puppy.

"Okay… Sakura…" He replied weakly, letting it drop.

An awkward silence followed, but I didn't really mind. As long as we weren't talking about last night, I was happy. I felt bad about being so harsh on Naruto, but I completely forgot about him as soon as I saw that one person approaching that could always put a smile on my face… Sasuke.

"Good morning Sasuke!" I called, waving enthusiastically.

As expected, he didn't reply, or even respond. He just continued walking that proud walk of his… that walk I loved. He was so confident… so sure of himself. It was exactly what I wanted to be.

When he reached the bridge, he nodded in my direction, and then to Naruto, acknowledging out presence, but not quite.

Surprisingly, we were only forced to wait a few minutes for Kakashi-sensei. I was glad too, because the silence was becoming unbearable. We were still Genin, so our missions were always somewhat easy. Apparently, today was a slow day, and we didn't have any missions. So instead, Kakashi decided to schedule some training.

…x…X…x…

After a grueling training session, Kakashi decided that we had worked hard enough for one day and dismissed us before disappearing to tend to duties of his own.

We all seemed to linger for a moment, and I took a deep breath before turning to face Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke. Good job today." I said, trying to be positive.

"Hn." He mumbled, turning his back to me and walking away. For a moment, my face fell, but I plastered on another smile and waved to him, even though his back was turned.

"See you tomorrow Sasuke!" I called, still waving. This time he didn't even bother to respond.

Now that he was out of earshot, I sighed, turning slowly around and mentally preparing myself to return to that hell-hole I called home. But something was in my way. It was Naruto. Surprised, I looked up, meeting his troubled gaze. What was he still doing hanging out here? I thought he left…

"Sakura… are you sure you're okay?"

I was shocked. I never really expected this kind of behavior from Naruto. Had he always been so… compassionate? Shaking my head, I brought myself back to reality.

"Yes Naruto, I'm fine." I stated bluntly, pushing past him.

"Sakura wait!" He shouted, whipping around and seizing my shoulder.

The moment he grabbed my shoulder, a horrible pain ran through my body, centering on the point where he had touched me. I winced, gripping my shoulder harshly where he held it. He pulled his hand back, shock bleeding through his face. My breathing was strained, and my hands clutched at my shoulder, trying desperately to relieve the pain. Because when Naruto grabbed my shoulder, he grabbed the exact place where I had been bruised last night.

"S-Sakura?" he stuttered, unmistakable fear in his voice. "What happened to you?"

I was silent, unwilling to answer him.

"Sakura please…" he begged. "Just talk to me."

Still clutching my shoulder, I shook my head again and again, refusing to tell him anything. I didn't want him worrying about me. It wasn't his responsibility. And yet… he was my team mate. If I was going to tell anyone, it might as well be someone I was… close to, in a way. And suddenly, against my will, I began to cry.

Naruto, who was still behind me, carefully gripped my arms and turned me around to face him. Slowly, he placed his hand under my chin and lifted my head, bringing his gaze to mine.

"Sakura, what happened?" He asked, staring intently into my eyes, as if I was a book and he could read my entire life story through my eyes.

I lowered my gaze, unable to look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I just can't tell you." I whispered, sparing myself the pain of an explanation. "I just… can't."

With that I turned and ran; ran to the only place I could go, the only place I could feel comfort… my meadow.

* * *

Okay, I hope everyone enjoyed it! Please review, any feedback helps, good or bad. And I really love hearing from my readers!!

I'll try and update as soon as possible.

Much Luv, Suna.Tenma


	2. Final Days

Here's chapter two. Sorry for the wait. Please forgive.

And sorry if there's spelling errors. I checked it, but I havent double checked it yet, 'cause I wanted to get it uploaded faster. I'll go through and edit it in a bit though.

* * *

With a small click, the key turned, and the front door opened. I stepped into the dark room, flipping the light switch and quickly extinguishing the darkness. Lazily, I flung myself onto the couch and closed my eyes, daydreaming about tomorrow's missions. But when I opened my eyes again, I was looking not into the face of my sensei, but into the face of my mother. She was smiling down at me warmly, as she gave my shoulder a tender shake. 

"Sweetie, I think you fell asleep." She said quietly. I groaned, pulling myself into a sitting position. "Your father'll be home soon." She added, with a note of warning in her voice. Quickly, I got up and looked around. The kitchen was still spotless, indicating that my mother hadn't started dinner yet. I glanced at the clock. 6:47. Dad would be home at 7:15, and if dinner wasn't ready… There'd be hell to pay.

"Mom, do you want some help with dinner?" I asked politely, begging her to let me help.

"No, Sakura, I'm fine on my own for tonight." She replied calmly, extracting a large pot from the cupboard below her. I stood and watched her as she poured water into the pot, and placed it on the burner. Then, she pulled out a large package of ramen noodles from the pantry, and I sighed with relief. She would be done in plenty of time.

Feeling much calmer, I decided to head out to the backyard to practice my aim with the shuriken. I got in about 15 minutes of practice, before I heard the front door slam.

My father was home early.

Quickly, I dashed inside, just in time to see my father sit down at the dinner table.

"Where's the food?" He demanded angrily. Obviously, today had not been a good day at work.

"It's right here," My mother replied sweetly, bringing over a large bowl of steaming noodles. She set the bowl down in front of him, and gave me a quick glance. Taking the hint, I sat down next to my father at the table, and my mother placed a slightly smaller bowl of noodles at my place setting. Then she seated herself, on my father's opposite side, with her own dinner.

My father had already begun to eat, and I soon followed. We ate in strained silence for a while, before my father finally finished his, saying, "Well, that was about the worst meal I've ever had at this table."

My mother looked stricken, sensing what was coming.

"I'm sorry dear. Want me to make something else?" She asked, as kindly as she could, while still hiding the tremors in her voice.

"Hell no. You'd probably mess that up too!" He shouted, anger rising.

My mother bit her lower lip, growing quite nervous. I just sat there, silent. This was the first time in a long time that my father had intentionally started the fight while I was in the room.

"Sorry." My mother whispered quietly, bracing herself for the blow.

"Sorry? Is that all you can say is Sorry? Well sorry won't make better food now will it?" His voice was quaking with anger, and he stood, knocking his chair backwards. "And sorry won't make you stop seeing that guy, will it?"

My mother looked up, shocked. She would never cheat on my father. She was to afraid of him to even look at another man.

"I've seen you." He sneered. "Talking with the mailman all friendly. So what, am I not good enough?"

"I… I would never…." My mother stuttered, the color draining from her face.

"Don't feed me that bullshit!" My father roared, grabbing her shirt and hoisting her to his height. "I know what you've been doing, you unfaithful bitch!" He tossed her to the side, her head colliding with the end table a few feet away. He advanced on her, as she cowered in the corner, a slow trickle of blood running from her head.

"Yeah, you're sorry now, aren't you? AREN'T YOU?" He screamed, kicking her in the side. All I could do was sit and watch in horror as he kicked her and beat her, screaming at her the whole time. Angry tears had spilled over, running down my face.

Then, from the counter next to him, he grabbed a knife.

I froze.

My mother screamed.

And it was over.

.x.X.x.

I stood completely still, not daring to breath. I didn't understand what had happened. My mother was beaten all the time; this was no different. She would be okay. She had to. She couldn't be dead, she just couldn't be.

But as the blood ran from her head, and the color drained from her face, a part of me knew that she was not coming back.

That was when he turned on me.

"And you call yourself a ninja." He spat, watching mercilessly as the tears ran uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"What?" he screamed, white tendons standing out against his tan skin as he clenched his fists. "You wanna be next?"

The threat hit me like an ice-cold shower. He had killed my mother. And now he would kill me.

Without thinking, I dashed for the back door, instinctively knowing that I needed to get out, and fast. This was not new to me. I had done it so many times, it seemed like second nature. But I wasn't two steps out the door before I realized that, for the first time in my life, he was following me.

I sprinted silently through the streets, running faster than I can ever remember. The wind whipped across my face, wiping the tears from my eyes. Just like my mother used to. I could almost feel her; in the wind. Pushing me forward, begging for me to get away.

He was gaining on me, and I didn't know what to do. I ran to the only place I had ever felt safe; my meadow.

I climbed the steep pathway, and visions of my first night here flooded my mind. My dad was only inches behind me, and in the instant that I reached the top of the hill, I felt a sharp tug from behind me. I turned my head slowly, horrorstricken. My dad had caught the back of my shirt.

I flinched, already anticipating the pain. He lifted me off of the ground. I kicked my feet in protest, meeting nothing but air. Without a second thought, he tossed me to the ground at his feet, and my spine collided with the dirt path.

Slowly, he looked around, glaring at the delicate blue flowers that had come into bloom again just in time for fall.

"So this is where you go, huh?" He said with disgust, as he soaked in the scene. "This is where you run away to when mommy and daddy fight?"

I looked up at him, and he glared back, nothing but contempt in his eyes.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" He snarled, his voice dripping with rage.

"Y-yes." I whimpered, eyes clouding with tears once more.

"Well, let's see how safe your precious field is now." He mocked, and before I realized what was happening, his hands flashed a few hands seals, and right before my eyes, he lit my field on fire.

My eyes widened, tears spilling over, as he laughed maniacally in the background. But I could barely hear him. All I could hear was the crackling of the fire as it raged the field, consuming every flower and every blade of grass. The beautiful green was swept away in an instant, and replaced with a horrible, fiery red. I watched in horror, and in that instant, I lost all hope. My meadow was gone. I had no where else to go. And now, he would kill me.

He finished his insane cackling, and looked down at me, as if I were a disgusting bug. Then, without saying a word, he picked up my shaking body, looked me straight in the eyes, and threw me into the flames.

.x.X.x.

I woke up to the sound of hushed whispers, and obnoxious beeping. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't seem to find them. I tried again, and slowly, light filtered in, but it was so bright…

I heard someone gasp, crying "She's awake!" Then hurried footsteps and more whispers.

I felt a soft hand grace my cheek, and I could barely make out the outline of a woman standing over me. Slowly, I became accustomed to the light, and I was starting to see the features of her face. It was very soft, and very kind, but it was a different kind of soft; almost fake. I flinched away from her touch, as a natural reaction. But the moment I did, a searing pain ran all throughout my body. What was wrong with me?

The nurse pulled away, and her face was replaced by a man's face. He looked kind enough, but also very tired, and very upset.

"Sakura," He asked, testing me. "Can you hear me?"

I wanted to respond, but I couldn't find my voice. I think I might have opened my mouth, but I'm not sure if it worked or not. So, I settled for nodding my head, even though it sent a shooting pain through my very core.

He smiled, apparently pleased. "Good. Now Sakura, I want you to tell me how much it hurts, on a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest."

Again, I tried to find my voice. It must have worked, because I heard a smaller, weaker version of my own voice answer, "Nine."

He frowned at this, and wrote something down on the clipboard.

"Alright, Sakura, I'll be back in a few hours to run some tests; see how you're doing. But right now, you have some visitors. Would you like me to let them in?" He asked kindly, obviously giving me the option of turning away my guests.

"Sure." I whispered. I was surprised he heard me, but he must have, because he left the room, and a few minutes later, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto walked in.

They approached my bed cautiously, as if they were afraid they might break me. Did I really look that bad?

"Hey Sakura." Naruto said softly, a grim smile slowly spreading across his face.

"How're you feeling?" Kakashi asked me, concern ringing in his voice.

"Horrible." I croaked, embarrassed to be seen like this. But it was unavoidable; Naruto would never forgive me if I didn't let him visit me in the hospital.

I glanced back at Sasuke, who had not said anything yet. His face expressed no concern for me whatsoever, and he seemed to be staring out the window.

The old me would have been upset. Hurt, even. But something changed last night. I couldn't explain it, but somehow, Sasuke had just dropped a few slots on my priority list.

I turned back to Kakashi, who had begun to speak again.

"Well Sakura, I hope you get better. But we know how tired you are, so we'll leave. C'mon Sasuke. You too Naruto."

Kakashi and Sasuke exited the room, but Naruto stayed, staring at me intently, nothing but hurt in his eyes. I couldn't figure out why, at first. Why would he be hurt?

"Why didn't you tell me, Sakura?" He whispered, pain echoing in his voice. "I could have helped you."

But before I could reply, he swept out of the room, leaving me alone; nothing but the electronic beeping of my heart to break the silence.

* * *

Please Review! It only takes a minute to make me feel loved. lol

**HPBabe 91:** Alright, well, I hope you liked this chapter too!

**xx-Tragic-Serenadexx: **Thanks so much! Hope you're still reviewing!

**Parade: **Sorry to take so long, Parade, but you know about the other stuff I've been working on too, so yeah. lol Thanks for being such an awesome friend, and reading all my stories. You are awesome!

**melomarshmello: **Yeah, I know I didn't make this clear, but the first/second chapters are kinda showing the background, of when Sakura used to be obsessed with Sasuke. In chaps 3+, it'll be different.

**shadowriter318: **Thanks for the review, and sorry for the wait!

**-ShadowBabe-:** Well, thanks for your enthusiasm, and I hope I didnt keep you waiting tooo long.

**xXxTsukuyomixXx: **Sorry. Well, here's the update! Hope you liked it!

Thanks a lot! -Suna.Tenma


	3. Released

DISCLAIMER:

Naruto is copyrighted to the creator, Masashi Kimimoto. This story is purely fan-made and is in no way associated with the anime company or the artist who created it.

* * *

I swept my eyes across the room, coming to nothing but darkness, the silence screaming in my ears. 

This place was disturbingly familiar, despite the lack of anything recognizable. I felt like I had been here before, but where exactly was here? Did this place really even exist?

I was asking myself these questions when I saw him; the ominous figure at the center of this nightmare.

My father.

Every shadow in the room seemed to be emanating from him, just like every hurtful memory, or every silent tear.

The calm was suddenly shattered as a single, piercing scream rang out, pulling me into a sharp state of anxiety. I feared for my safety, but at the same time was desperate to reach the woman, as she screamed again in agony. He sound tore at my psyche, making focus all but impossible as my father inched his way forward.

When he was inches from me, close enough that I could smell his breath, tainted with cheap liquor and cigarettes, he placed a steady hand on my neck, pulling my face to his.

His eyes watched me for a moment, merciless, unblinking, before he raised his free hand, exposing the flame hidden within.

It danced and circled, floating mysteriously in his palm, whether begging to be used, or begging to be set free, I could not tell.

My father and I locked eyes, staring each other down. And then, before I could even react, I was on fire.

I wanted to scream, but my lungs were heavy with water, and I couldn't even breathe. The fire burned my skin, not hot, but cold, like ice being poured through my veins. I gasped for air, drowning in the icy torture, grasping for anything to stop the pain.

And somewhere in my panic, I saw something that I had not seen before.

It was Naruto, standing there with his arms outstretched, reaching for me with fear in his eyes.

And he had been there all along.

…x…X…x…

I jerked forward, throwing myself upright. I was panting, a cold sweat plastered across my forehead. Frantic, I scanned the room three times over. But I calmed down, realizing that I was still in the hospital, surrounded by clean white walls and sterile plastic curtains.

I sighed, collapsing back onto my bed. I was tired of waking up screaming, and sick of worrying all my doctors. Why did my mind keep tormenting me with these frightening images? And how long would this go on?

I groaned, burying my face in the pillow. These continuous tests and x-rays were taking their toll on me, and I couldn't stand much more of this place. The people were fake, the healing was fake, and the lives here were fake. Only outside these bleached white walls did the real world begin.

I stared out the window longingly, watching as the birds flew past, completely oblivious to their glorious freedom that they took so much for granted.

Slowly, the door creaked open, and in stepped my doctor.

"Sakura, you have visitors again." He told me quietly, waiting for my response. I nodded once, sitting up in a proper position to greet my guests.

He turned from the room, and was replaced almost immediately by the remainder of team seven.

Kakashi smiled at me, apparently pleased with my healing progress, and he crossed the room excitedly.

"Hey, you're looking almost good enough for a mission!" he ruffled my hair playfully, smiling down at me with the closest thing to a fatherly gesture I had ever received.

I smiled back, trying to be optimistic. Something inside of me just didn't feel like celebrating, though.

Bt Kakashi saw through my mask, and he leaned down next to me ear, whispering exactly what was going through my head.

"You hate it here, don't you?"

I chuckled darkly.

"Hate is an understatement."

He laughed with me, the light and cheerful sound filling the room. I wished suddenly that I could bottle it, and save it forever, not knowing when I would hear it again. But of course, it died down no sooner than it had started, leaving the room once again in an unbearable silence.

It seemed to me that after the night in the meadow, something inside of me had died. I looked upon the faces of my teammates, and found myself feeling… different.

Before that night, I had always felt butterflies whenever Sasuke was in the room. But now, I looked at his smug expression, his indifference to the world, and it didn't really seem to matter. _He_ didn't really matter.

And then, I looked at Naruto, the pain glinting secretly behind his smiling face. And I felt nothing for him. I tried to, I wanted to. But my emotions were not what they were before, and the people around me had suddenly become… disposable.

Disgusted with myself, I rolled over, complaining about pain, and told them to leave.

I heard the door click, and I curled into myself, praying for sleep to take me away.

…x…X…x…

After another week in the hospital, I eventually stopped letting my team in, and they eventually stopped trying. Every day grew darker for me; lonelier. And soon, it was a rare miracle for me to even speak to another human being. My healing progressed, slower than before, but healing all the same, and nearly four months later, I was finally free to go.

But by this time the damage was done. I had been left by myself for too many hours, left with nothing and no one but my thoughts, dragging me in circles around that final night in the meadow.

And with those thoughts, I reached a terrifying conclusion.

You could care about someone all you wanted, but in the end, all it did was come back to haunt you. Physical strength was the only way to truly be strong and sure of yourself, and I was tired of being weak.

If I wanted to ever be able to live peacefully again, I had to train, and get stronger.

Nothing else mattered.

So obviously, the minute I was released from the hospital, I ran to the bridge where I knew Naruto and Sasuke would be meeting.

When they saw me round the corner, I was not surprised to see that Sasuke was indifferent and Naruto was ecstatic.

"Sakura!" Naruto called, new-found joy flashing in his brilliant smile.

I raised a hand to reply, but did not quicken my pace.

Sensing the change in my mood, Naruto rushed forward to greet me, a curious stare settled lightly on his features.

"Sakura?" He asked, tone dripping with obvious concern. "Are you alright?"

I looked up at the face of the team mate who I had once held so close, and felt nothing but pity. He still clung to the emotion of love, one that I would never return.

"I'm fine, Naruto." I replied coldly, stepping past him towards the bridge. But Naruto was stubborn, and would not give up that easily. He grabbed my arm, jerking me around to face him.

"Don't lie to me again Sakura. I've had enough of that for one lifetime. Why won't you talk to me? And why wouldn't you let me visit you in the hospital?"

I stared him straight in the eyes, unblinking, unwilling to share with him any of my unpleasant journey I had experienced these past few months.

He watched me, still holding my shoulders firmly in place, refusing to let go.

"Sakura, what's happening to you?"

I stopped for a moment and considered answering that question. I thought about explaining how I was no longer the Sakura he had once known. I almost told him that training was now my #1 priority, and everything else fell behind it. I wanted to tell him not to try and change me, and to just accept what I had become.

But of course, I did none of these.

"Nothing's happening to me, Naruto. Now please, let me go."

He stared at me for a long time, as if trying to read the answer in my eyes. I don't know if he saw anything, but he sighed, dropping his arms to his sides in defeat.

I shrugged past him, walking straight towards the bridge where Sasuke waited, leaving the blonde behind me, confused, lost, and more alone than he had been in a long, long time.

* * *

Well, please please please review! I absolutely love hearing from you guys, good or bad.

**Transient Shadow: **Yes, but shadow names are cool!! And yes, I like stories about abuse too. Thats why I write them. xD

**HPBabe91: **Oh wow. Nice!

**les-liaisons-dangereuses: **Thanks!

**Parade: **I LUV JOO!!!

**simply amazed: **It sounds bad, but I love when I do that. It means I'm doing a good job! Thanks for the review!


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